Illnesses cut short river cruise

EIGHT passengers from the Mississippi Queen riverboat were hospitalized Oct. 22 with flu-like symptoms after at least 20% of the boat’s 528 passengers and crew were struck with a gastrointestinal illness that cut short the cruise by two days.

By the Travel section’s deadline Tuesday, six had been discharged from the hospital, said Beth Crace, a spokeswoman for the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

Dr. William Hacker, commissioner for the Kentucky Department of Public Health, said he expected laboratory test results to determine whether the passengers might have contracted a non-life-threatening illness of the type caused by the Norwalk virus, blamed for outbreaks on cruise ships, in schools and other confined spaces. A team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention examined food storage on the boat and found no problems, he said.

The cruise was cut short by two days so crews could conduct “additional deep cleaning in all areas of the vessel without inconveniencing passengers,” said April Matson, spokeswoman for the boat’s owner, Majestic America Line.

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Cellphones on the high seas

THE luxury line Crystal Cruises has begun offering cellphone service to its customers.

The service employs technology that blocks reception in some public areas such as the dining room and theaters. Users are billed through their own cellphone providers

The service began Oct. 13 on the Crystal Serenity and Oct. 20 on the Crystal Symphony.

On Tuesday the Symphony will go into dry dock until Nov. 12 for a $23-million refurbishment to give the 940-passenger ship an updated contemporary look, including redesigned staterooms and casino, new clubs and restaurants.

Info: (800) 804-1500, www.crystalcruises.com.

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An alternative to a passport

THE U.S. State Department’s proposed PASS card, a wallet-sized ID card that U.S. citizens may use when traveling by land or sea to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean, would cost $20 for adults and $10 for children, plus a $25 processing fee, the State Department said recently when it issued a notice of proposed rule making.

The card would be a cheaper alternative to passports, which cost $97, for those entering by land or sea from these areas as of June 1, 2009.

The PASS, or People Access Security Service, card would contain radio-frequency coding to link it to a database of biographical data and a photo.

The federal rule proposing the development of the card now is open for public comment. To make a comment, go to www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main. Document ID is DOS-2006-0329-0001.

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Hong Kong gondola launches

Anew gondola opened on Hong Kong’s Lantau Island last month, offering riders an eagle’s-eye view of the harbor and city and faster access to Ngong Ping’s cultural sights.

The Ngong Ping Skyrail can carry up to 17 people along a 3 1/2 -mile route from the center of Tung Chung on Lantau and Ngong Ping, site of a culture-themed village with shops, restaurants and interactive exhibits that explore Buddhism; the Po Lin Monastery; and the enormous bronze of Tian Tan Buddha. The statue, 112 feet high, is considered to be one of the world’s largest Buddha statues.

Round-trip ticket prices for the Skyrail ride are $11.30; children 3 to 11 years old are about $5.80. Info: www.np360.com.hk.

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Strap on the snowshoes

ON Christmas Eve, Big Bear Lake Discovery Center kicks off its second year of snowshoe tours. If it’s good and snowy, a naturalist will take participants tramping onto private ranchland in Holcomb Valley, offering up tidbits about local history and ecology along the way. (Other trails around the lake will substitute if needed, depending on snowfall.) The cost, $35 per adult, $25 for ages 8 to 16, includes snowshoes, plus cocoa and snacks.

Tours are scheduled 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays Dec. 24 to March 25, with additional holiday departures; (909) 382-2790.

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Briefly

State gets more visitors: If it seems as though you’re seeing more tourists around California lately, you’re right. According to 2005 figures recently released by the California Travel and Tourism Commission, the state received 244.3 million leisure travelers last year, a 7.1% increase from 2004, when California received 228 million vacationers.

Hawaii deal: Mauna Lani Resort, on the Kohala Coast of the Big Island, is putting a good face on a bad event. The resort, which suffered no structural damage in the 6.7- magnitude temblor that hit the island chain Oct. 15, is offering guests a “Shaken, Not Stirred” promotion through Dec. 19, with perks including pineapple martinis. Room rates start at $390 for two, plus tax. It is subject to availability and restrictions. Info: (800) 367-2323 or (808) 885-6622, www.maunalani.com.